As a related medium processing apparatus there is, for example, the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2009-098835.
FIG. 14 is a side view illustrating an internal structure of a related apparatus described in JP-A No. 2009-098835, and FIG. 15 is a side view illustrating the apparatus in a state in which banknote storage cassettes have been pulled out.
In an apparatus as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, a customer interface section 31, a checking and authentication section 32, a temporary holding section 33, conveying paths 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, and a conveying path (sorting conveying path) 3 including a sorting section are provided in an upper portion of the apparatus, and plural banknote storage cassettes (medium storage cassettes) 5 to 8 and a medium storage cassette (integrated stacking box type) 9 are loaded in a lower portion of the apparatus, in a row from the near side to the far side of the apparatus.
The conveying paths 34a, 34b, 34c configure a loop shaped path from the customer interface section 31, via the checking and authentication section 32 and the temporary holding section 33, and back again to the customer interface section 31, the conveying path 3 is provided in a straight line along the row of the banknote storage cassettes 5 to 8 and the medium storage cassette 9, and the conveying path 34d connects the conveying path 34a and the conveying path 3 together at a position at the near side of the checking and authentication section 32, and the conveying path 34e connects the conveying path 34b and the conveying path 3 together at a position at the far side of the checking and authentication section 32.
The following processing for banknote (medium) depositing and dispensing is performed by such a configuration. First, when depositing, banknote(s) that have been introduced by a customer into the customer interface section 31 are separated and conveyed one-by-one by the conveying path 34a to the checking and authentication section 32 where the banknotes are checked and authenticated for denomination, and such irregularities as counting and conveying irregularities are detected. Resulting banknotes deemed suitable for depositing are conveyed by the conveying path 34b to the temporary holding section 33 where they are temporarily held, however, banknotes whose denomination is not clear or which have been detected as having an irregularity and are therefore not deemed suitable for depositing are conveyed by the conveying paths 34b, 34c to the customer interface section 31 and returned to the customer.
When all of the introduced banknotes have been checked and authenticated, the amount of the checked banknotes is then displayed on a display section, not shown in the drawings, and when a customer acknowledges this amount and authorizes transaction to proceed, the banknotes that are being temporarily stored in the temporary holding section 33 are fed out one-by-one and conveyed back to the checking and authentication section 32 by the conveying path 34b and a denomination check is again performed in the checking and authentication section 32. After checking, the banknotes are then conveyed from the conveying path 34a into the conveying path 3 via the conveying path 34d, sorted according to the identified denominations by the sorting section on the conveying path 3 and then stored separately by denomination in the banknote storage cassettes 5 to 8.
In dispensing processing, banknote(s) are fed out according to the denomination and amount input by a customer from at least one of the banknote storage cassettes 5 to 8 to an operation section, not shown in the drawings, and the banknotes that have been fed out are conveyed to the checking and authentication section 32 by the conveying path 3, the conveying path 34d, and the conveying path 34a. After performing checks on such aspects as the denomination and count in the checking and authentication section 32, the banknotes are then conveyed to the customer interface section 31 by the conveying paths 34b, 34c and stacked, and when banknotes of the customer-input denomination and amount have been stacked in the customer interface section 31, a shutter on the customer interface section 31 is opened and the banknotes are paid out to the customer.
Banknote replenishment and collection for the banknote storage cassettes 5 to 8 is performed utilizing the medium storage cassette 9, however further explanation thereof is omitted.